Workers’ Comp is an important safety net of protection which benefits both the worker who risks injury on the job and the employer who would otherwise face potentially crippling liability for workplace injuries. The Workers’ Comp insurance system is intended to streamline claims, and take these issues out of the courts and into a no-fault context.

This helps workers get the cash flow they need to replace lost incomes right away. At the same time it helps employers avoid a lawsuit which could bankrupt them, arising out of the serious injury or death of an employee due to a workplace accident.

That said, some employers may actually be paying more than necessary for Workers’ Compensation premiums because they don’t understand how premiums are set, and what they can do to help improve their ratings to lower premiums.

A large part of employee success is a direct reflection of the culture, style, and attitude displayed within the management sector of a business. So matching management styles with employee goals will promote success and employee satisfaction. This will help unlock and attain employees’ aspirations.

The best way to achieve alignment and success is to continually strive to build trusting relationships between employers and employees. Developing trust will enable employees to feel empowered in their jobs, take responsibility and invest effort into their success.

Mary and Bill. They are employed by your organization and they’re swept up in their new-found love for each other.

You’re hot under the collar because Bill’s sales have dropped off and Mary hasn’t met the deadline on several projects. You believe their romance is distracting them from their job performance.

How do you deal with this and similar situations? Handle problem workplace romances in the same manner as you would any other personnel problem. Meet separately with the individuals. Outline the level of performance you expect from each of them. Identify goals. Arrange for dates by which you expect improvement. Warn them if their performance doesn’t improve, they risk further disciplinary action, even termination.

What happens if Mary is your new sales manager and Bill is one of your sales people? You receive complaints from other sales people suggesting Mary is showing favoritism to Bill. You investigate and learn Mary and Bill are romantically involved. Here’s what to do:

The “quickie election” rules were originally proposed two years ago, but were narrowly rejected by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) when the majority of its five members were appointees of President George W. Bush. Today the majority are President Obama appointees, and the rules were adopted 3-2, along party lines.

From the majority’s perspective, the new rules will allow the NLRB “to more effectively administer the National Labor Relations Act by modernizing its rules in light of modern technology, making its procedures more transparent and uniform across regions, and eliminating unnecessary litigation and delay.”